We Were Bound to Love and Hate
by jcforever19
Summary: A collection of (mostly) independent Jimmy/Cindy one shots following JC's love hate relationship through a variety of settings and situations.
1. A New Start

**A collection of seasonal one shots based on different months of the year. I'm really feeling the love for this ship lately so I'm going to take advantage of that and squeeze out as much as I can about my two beloved idiots while the obsession lasts. **

**Reviews are, as always, most welcome, as is critique! I don't own Jimmy N/affiliated characters.**

**_Recommended Listening: October by Broken Bells_**

* * *

She placed the clock gently on the mantle of the brick fireplace. She despised the ticking sound it made, but it had been an old family heirloom—the only one that had survived her mother's wrath.

Cindy chuckled to herself. Her younger years had been a blazing hellfire of unrequited love and familial struggles. Truth be told, she was unsure how she had made it through the misery of it all.

She sighed, glancing out the open door. A few dry leaves blew in and settled on the threshold of the doorway. The first year was supposed to be the hardest. Or at least, that's what Libby had told her. She scoffed. Sheen was one thing, but Neutron was another entirely. He could be sweet and caring, but he could also be oblivious and self-centered. It was difficult to imagine herself being as patient and acquiescing as Libby. These traits did not come easily to her—she supposed it was a result of the Vortex family's branding of these traits as weak. Giving in to Neutron still felt like a loss. Letting him peel back her layers pushed her into a deep area of vulnerability, one she wasn't quite sure she was equipped to deal with. It was simply too difficult to allow herself to be loved. The shadows of haunting thoughts crept across the walls, throwing themselves sidelong at her like ghosts. Inadequacy came slithering up her body, curling around her neck and knotting into a clench of fear at her throat.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps punctuated the hallway. Jimmy stood silently below the arch leading into the living room. He fixed his eyes on Cindy and her invisible demons. She stared back at him with wide eyes, her piercing green gaze melting his heart.

He walked towards her, leaving behind the plastic bags he'd been holding, and laid a hand across her shoulder. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I got everything we needed." He said quietly. She nodded, unable to find an acceptable response. She found herself wondering if he had brought the power of exorcism with him. Could he be her savior?

"Cindy?"

No response.

"Cindy?"

This time, he dipped his head to the crook of her neck, resting his lips on her collarbone. Within seconds, he was gently nipping at her ears, hands balanced on her bony hips.

"I love you." He looked up at her with a boyish smile plastered on her face. She felt the grip of Inadequacy loosen immediately. But what she really longed to ask, what she really longed to know— was she capable of being loved? And how?

She looked away from him, eyes landing on a box full of his things. Photo frames, wooden ducks, a compendium of his childhood work.

"Why did you marry me?" She found herself saying. A cold clutch of terror tugged at the edge of her voice. He looked taken aback.

"Cindy?"

"Answer the question, Neutron." Her voice quivered audibly, and a few tears rolled down her pale cheek.

Jimmy had been answering the question his whole life. He had put up with her insults, accepted her challenges, and understood her ancient sadness. He had seen her at her best and her worst, seen her at her lowest and her highest, and seen her shed blood and tears.

"Because you are enough. More than enough." She buried her head in his chest and tried her hardest to believe this.

Inadequacy shriveled up and with a gust of wind, found itself discarded on the sidewalk with the last crinkled remains of old acorns and rotten flower petals.


	2. Breakthrough

**Recommended listening:**** Hurry Up and Save me by Tiffany Giardina **

**Reviews appreciated! :)**

**(Not related to the last one...unless you want it to be I guess)**

* * *

"Please open the door."

No reply.

"Cindy-"

"Go away, I need some time alone."

She heard him linger in the hallway for a few moments before he trailed off in defeat.

She was sick of this mundane life of hers. Sure, she was the wife of the highly acclaimed Jimmy Neutron, and sure she'd been in space so many times she'd lost count, but nothing seemed beautiful or valuable to her anymore. Her skin felt like a prison, and her heart was always aching. Some nights, it felt suffocating just to breathe.

She opened up a window and glanced out at the sky. She was another cog in the giant machine of the universe. A blonde lawyer with a sharp tongue. Certainly not the only one out there. There was nothing special about her— she was just plain old Cindy Vortex.

She fell facedown on the bed behind her, smothering her face into the pillows to scream and scream but nothing would come out and this only made her more mad, so she started to sob angrily, throwing the pillow across the room as she curled into a fetal position. Some unknown poison had taken root in her veins, and made her foreign to herself.

"Cindy?" The voice came again, this time afraid.

"I told you to leave me alone, Neutron."

"Cindy, I'm worried, you spend a lot of time alone in that room these days. I need to know that you're okay."

"I see you've emerged from the lab to check on me for once." She mocked.

"Cindy that's not fair. You know I love you." He swallowed down the lump in his throat. " Right—and you've definitely shown that by holing yourself up in that damn lab all the time." She coughed violently, another sob overtaking her.

"Cindy, you know I'm on the verge of this breakthrough-"

"Where in hell is _my_ breakthrough?" She wailed, slamming her fists down on the mattress.

"Let me in." His voice was soft, loving.

She gently got up and unlocked it. As soon as he heard the click, he tossed it open. He wanted to embrace her but he was unsure if she was okay with contact. He settled on laying a hand atop her arm.

She flung herself at him, and cried into his sterile white lab coat. He put his arms around her. "I'm sorry I haven't been around as much as you'd like."

"It's okay. You're making something of your life." She said earnestly. "Don't let me stop you from finding the cure to—"

" Cindy, you don't impede my progress. You are essential to it. I would be lost without you."

She sighed. "I just wish I could have a breakthrough." A cold puff of wind drifted in through the open window. Cindy shivered. He pulled her closer.

"Everything happens in time, Cindy. You're smart and capable. And believe it or not, everyone feels like they're in a rut at some point in their life."

"Neutron, this isn't just a damn rut, this is the end. I quit my job at the highest paying corporate law firm in the country at the height of my so-called career."

"Only because you needed some mental rest and time to reevaluate things." He pointed out.

"No one else needs mental rest or time off to spend crying at home." She countered.

"We all need mental rest. But not all of us are courageous enough to ask for it." Jimmy said this so quietly he wasn't sure if she'd even heard.

"I guess." She shrugged.

"I promise I will do whatever I can to help you. You can make it through this."

"I hope that means you'll stop locking yourself away in the basement like a mad scientist."

"I will try my best not to be a brilliant recluse." He teased.

She whacked him on the arm. "What was that for?"

"Your ego is still the size of a continent."

"Your aim is still pretty good." He rubbed his forearm accusingly.

"Good, I'm still on track with something." She smirked.


	3. Farewell

**This is drawing from my own emotions from this summer, since I graduated high school in June. **

**Reviews are fab! **

**Recommended Listening: Just Breathe by Anna Nalick**

* * *

Cindy's red velvet dress swished against her knees. Leaves crackled beneath her black boots. The trees lining the streets of Retroville boasted a vibrant yellow hue. Cindy couldn't help but admire the warm colors all around her. She passed the Candy Bar on her way home—noting all the middle school kids crowding around the greasy tables for Sam's special cider. She thought fondly back to the days when the gang would pile around a table and discuss Jimmy's latest invention inevitably going haywire. With a sigh, she recalled whittling away season after season talking and yelling and laughing with the same four people. Libby, Carl, and Sheen had already left for college. It was soon to be Jimmy's turn, and she was leaving last. True, she'd come to expect the separation as early as sophomore year, but in actuality, it was much more difficult than she'd ever imagined. It was crazy, but she even missed Carl and Sheen blithering like idiots about llamas and action figures.

Then there was Libby. Leaving her best friend was one of the hardest things Cindy had ever done. Libby was a sister to Cindy, and Libby's parents half functioned in place of her own. The day Libby had left, Cindy had gone through all her memorabilia from their childhood years. Old mix tapes, dolls sporting ugly tulle dresses, punching bags, teen magazines with personality quizzes. She'd stared at all of it, and cried and cried for hours. Life was so fast. If you didn't take the time to appreciate the moment, it would flash by you in the blink of an eye.

And finally…it had come time to utter her most dreaded farewell. In some ways, she felt guilty, because she knew she was more deeply affected by this parting than any other.

She took a deep breath and continued down the street she had grown up on. The anxiety built up in steady waves as she stopped in front of the dinky tin lab behind the Neutrons' home. Her hands were shaking. She had to knot her hands together to keep them from shaking.

A figure emerged from behind the lab. It was none other Jimmy himself. Over the years, his height had leveled out respectably. He still primarily sported t-shirts and jeans. His eyes had grown bluer if possible, and his smile…God…Cindy could never get the hang of his stupid smile. It disarmed her entirely. But today his warm smile left her feeling colder than ever.

"Hey Cindy. I'm leaving in half an hour." He sounded so excited. Why wouldn't he? He was going to conduct research for NASA while working in an accelerated physics program at Harvard. He was after all, a genius, when it came to it.

Cindy simply nodded. She couldn't find it in her to say anything quite yet. "Everything's packed but I didn't want to get there too early so I'm just sort of waiting for a bit."

She looked up at him, allowing herself to shed a few tears only when she knew he wasn't looking.

"So…is there anything you needed?" He rubbed his neck rather awkwardly.

"It's not like I come to you only because I need things." She snapped.

"I know." He said softly. "No need to take my words at anything more than face value."

"You're the last person I need anything from, Neutron."

It was all coming out wrong. He looked a little annoyed. "Look, I really don't want to spend my last hour in Retroville arguing with you about—"

"Why?" She clenched her fists. "Is there really anything more characteristic of our time here?"

"Cindy—" He tried to advance past her.

He was already exasperated. Her window of opportunity was closing.

"Listen, Nerdt-Neutron." He grimaced. "Really, Vortex? You can't even be bothered to use my name like a normal person?"

"Just shut up and listen."

"Clearly your cotillion classes were a failure." He murmured under his breath. She frowned.

"I have something to tell you—"

"Jimbo, we're going to leave a little early—" Hugh called out from the front porch.

"Coming, dad!" He called over his shoulder to his father.

Then he turned his attention back to Cindy.

"You were saying?"

Her lips froze as she glanced at him. His earnest smile didn't seem so earnest now. On further glance, it was apparent that he too was barely holding it together.

"I just- I wanted to wish you good luck. It's been a great few years, Neutron." She managed. In that moment, all of it seemed to flash in front of her eyes, blurring her vision temporarily. Trips into space, hover car accidents, and all orders of arguments. She swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Cindy...I wish you the best of luck too. I know you'll be successful."

She cherished the way he wrapped his voice around her name, the way his lips moved as he spoke.

"So long, Neutron." He nodded, touching her arm for the briefest second. He turned and started to walk away from her but caught her gentle voice whispering to him. He barely registered her words at first, but as soon as he did, he turned back to her.

_"Don't go, Nerdtron."_

She hesitantly outstretched a hand to him, and he took it without pause. He ran his fingers over her palm and drew quiet circles around her wrist. This simple act brought tears to her eyes.

She looked up at him, voice breaking with some irreparable emotion. _"Jimmy-."_

"I know." She had never heard his voice quiver so.

"Jimmy, we need to hit the road!" Judy's voice pierced the air.

He gave her a solemn kiss on the cheek and walked away without turning back to look at her.

Cindy placed a hand to her cheek, watching as he climbed into the car. He didn't look at her as the car pulled out of the driveway. Cindy's felt strangely empty. The words she'd never said hurt her more than anything else, but she hoped for the slightest moment that he knew already…

She closed her eyes, wiped her eyes with her sleeve, and walked back to her own home. The feel of his lips against her cheek had left an incurable burn on her heart. Funny how one boy could change so much…


	4. Maze

**I've taken a cue from another (fab) JN writer (dancingonathinline) since I was short on ideas, and took a look at the otp prompts tumblr. This one fits the seasonal theme, I believe :)**

**"Imagine your OTP lost in a corn maze."**

* * *

"Damn it, Neutron, we've been past the forked cornstalk at least three times."

"Well, at least I'm trying to do something about it. All you've done is complain for the last half hour." Jimmy glanced over his shoulder at Cindy. Her arms were crossed over her brown cashmere sweater, and a scowl played at the edge of her lips.

"Can we just sit down for five minutes?" She asked. "I need to rest a bit before we go rampaging through the corn again."

"Hey, I only started going through the walls because you wanted us to win."

"Was it wrong of me to hope we'd win when my partner's supposedly a genius?"

"Supposedly?" He raised an eyebrow.

"See, I don't really know if you deserve the title anymore—"

He frowned. "Vortex, you're not really one to talk...you haven't been particularly helpful either."

"Well _maybe_ I could have been more helpful if you'd stuck to _my_ plan instead of calculating your convoluted formulas for cornstalk mass and density."

"Hey, that was a perfectly plausible idea-"

"In theory." Cindy sighed. "When will you learn that not everything can be parsed into theoretical terms?"

"When will you understand that there is absolutely nothing logic and reason can't overcome?"

The two had gotten really close, standing only a few inches away from each other. This always happened. The sudden togetherness, that was.

"Yeah logic and reason really worked out so well for us." There was a dangerous edge to her voice. Jimmy looked at her briefly, noting the fleeting pain etched in the lines of her face, soon replaced by her signature dirty look.

"Cindy—" He started, but was cut off almost immediately.

"Whatever, Nerdtron, let's just get out of this stupid—"

He pulled her back by the arm.

"I'm—I'm sorry."

His brilliant blue eyes fixed on her with genuine regret.

"You're what? Say it again so I can cherish the famed Jimmy Neutron apologizing—"

"God, this is why I can't stand you. At least I can take my ego down a notch for two seconds to apologize."

"Hmm, well let's think for a moment shall we? Whose fault was it in the first place that we broke up? Yours. So don't sound like you're doing me a favor by apologizing."

"You're insufferable, Vortex."

"Likewise, Neutron."

The two were now head to head. The only logical thing left to do was kiss. Cindy leaned in first and Jimmy followed suit. They wrapped their arms around each other and pulled away after a solid minute. Both their faces were very red. Cindy coughed to hide her embarrassment.

"Right so, I say we go down that path?" She offered, pointing randomly left, cheeks burning.

"Whatever you say, Vortex. Ball's in your court." He murmured, still in shellshock.

She gave him a quick smile. "It always has been, Nerdtron."


	5. Resistance

**What would a seasonal one-shot collection be without a coffee shop AU? I got a college assignment asking me to describe a coffee shop recently, so I felt inspired to use that setting elsewhere and this was born.**

**So without further ado, I present to you a short little future meeting between my favorite sassy smarties :)**

* * *

Jimmy was slated to meet with the head intellectual property attorney from one of the biggest firms in the city to go over his copyright claim paperwork. He'd staked out a table in the corner of a crowded Starbucks on 63rd and Broadway—not an easy feat considering how crowded it could get during rush hour.

The dim lighting and dusty floors gave the whole place a laidback feeling. Jimmy found it amusing to listen to the meaningless chatter of the other customers. It was nice to see how the other half (that was, the non-genius population) lived.

Jimmy fixed his eyes on the door. He waited ten minutes until he saw a woman with a shoulder length blonde ponytail walk in, in a tight black pencil skirt and a red trench coat. Her lips were pursed, and she sported minimal makeup, if any at all. He believed he'd seen her before…

"Neutron, fancy seeing you here." The woman was now looking straight at him. It finally hit him. "Oh my god, Cindy Vortex?" He blurted out.

"Yours truly." She smiled for the first time that day. She could hardly believe she'd found him on a business visit of all places.

"So what are you doing here? Measuring and recording coffee cup densities?" She smirked. She still had it.

"Very funny Vortex. I'm here to meet my lawyer."

Her face immediately turned serious. "Wait, let me get this straight. You're my client?"

"What? Impossible…" He looked shocked as well. "Although now I see where the Tex in Tex-Wallace comes from." She shrugged. "Michael thought Tex Wallace had more of a ring to it than Vortex Wallace."

"Who's Michael?" Jimmy asked somewhat protectively. She smirked yet again. "Jealous already Neutron?" His cheeks turned red but he rolled his eyes.

"He's name partner. We run the firm together." After a moment, she added, "Great guy. Sharp and witty and hot and all that."

Jimmy tried to remain nonchalant but it was visible that he was jealous.

"Whatever. Michael doesn't concern me. My claim does. So if you would be so kind as to sign off on the documents, you can get back to him and I can get back to my lab."

Cindy frowned. "You'll be damned but you'll never come out and say it."

"There's nothing to say."

"Right." She sounded unconvinced.

"Back in high school, if you'd just come out and said it…"She paused before continuing. "If you'd just had some freaking guts and admitted to it—"

"You shouldn't have been with Nick in the first place." He pointed out, sipping his coffee. "But that was a long time ago, so let's leave the past in the past."

Cindy looked a little hurt by his bluntness but she supposed it was true in a way. She'd put all the responsibility on him but she hadn't done anything to really expedite their…relationship.

She signed off on all the papers he handed her. He looked at her oddly. "How is it you're my lawyer and I didn't even know your name?"

"The best lawyers get the job done before you even learn their name." She smiled.

"And you're the best?" He challenged. "I'm at the top of my game Neutron."

She replied confidently. "I just won two six million dollar settlements in the same week."

"Congratulations." He offered her a hand to shake. She took it and shook it firmly. She felt a familiar twinge of electricity spark through her at the slightest contact. She decided to try her hand at a little game. She lightly tapped his foot beneath the table and he returned the gesture.

He reached for a napkin and she saw another opportunity. She reached for a napkin at the exact same time and brushed her hand against his. He looked up at her with his wide, bright blue eyes. His hand was still grazing hers. After a moment, she cleared her throat. "Well, it's been nice seeing you I guess. Email my assistant if there's anything else the firm can do for you." She stood up.

"Well I don't know about the firm but…" He rummaged in his coat pocket and produced a slightly frayed business card. "_You_ can do me the favor of giving me a call."

"You've gotten cocky Neutron. I bet the women flock to you now." She laughed gratuitously at his expense. He scoffed playfully.

"When have they not flocked to me, Vortex? You're the only one resistant to my charming good looks and impressive intelligence."  
"That's only because I realize your ego is bigger than your head, and that's saying something considering the size of that head of yours."

He smiled. "I have to go but you know where to reach me."

He got up and turned away from her. She reached for his arm. "Jimmy?"

He turned around. Her face was a deep shade of red.

"I'm not entirely resistant." She admitted.

"Glad to hear it." He beamed at her.


	6. Migraine

**This is short and fluffy and sort of pointless. But anyways I imagine that they are living together for some reason but they aren't together yet. Perhaps Cindy is his personal assistant but neither has really owned up to their feelings?**

* * *

His mind was foggy and the pain shot to his neck and temples. He stared out the window in misery. It was pouring outside and the sky was a murky shade of gray. The sound of the rain pounding against the glass panes only made things worse. He heard footsteps descending the stairs. It was Cindy. She alighted beside him on the couch.

"Hey."

He managed a weak nod. She bit her lip. She hated to see him like this. She already knew but she asked anyways. "Migraine?"

He nodded again, this time sinking back into the cushions. His eyes were clouding over with tears.

Cindy rubbed his temples and used her fingers to press points on his forehead. She ran a gentle finger across his heavy eyelids and across his eyelashes. He breathed hoarsely as the pain intensified. Outside, thunder rolled with magnificent force, and the noise of the storm escalated. He scrunched his eyes shut in agony, and a few tears rolled down his cheek. Cindy touched his shoulder blades and felt his neck. It was on fire.

She reached for the water bottle on the coffee table. "Here, drink some of this." She pressed the bottle to his scorching lips, accidentally brushing her fingers against his lower lip.

"I know it hurts." She sighed. Working late hours in the lab with minimal lighting and bizarre chemicals had brought this on. She'd been telling him to be more careful, but he hadn't listened as usual. Cindy had expected to rub it in his face, but seeing him in this state upset her.

She gently pressed a space below his ear. For a few seconds, relief washed over his features, until he was hit with a new spasm of pain. He curled his body into itself, bringing his hands over his head in torture.

She gently guided his hands away from his head and placed them on her knees. She placed mild kisses along his collarbone and his jaw. His eyes flickered open in surprise. Even when he was sick, his blue eyes shone brilliantly. Cindy brushed the sweat from his hair and laid his head in her lap. He closed his eyes.

"I love you." She whispered, as he fell asleep. The storm raged on. Tomorrow morning, he would forget all of this and they would be back to square one.


	7. Assistant I

**I want to run with the 'Cindy as Jimmy's lab assistant' theme for a few more one shots, so these next few one shots will be the prequel of sorts to the last one shot about Jimmy's migraine. I enjoy the idea of JC working together in the lab...:)**

**This one has no seasonal theme but whatever it's the JC that counts. (Right?)**

* * *

Paying off law school wasn't easy when Cindy was subsisting on an entry-level income at a local firm. She had taken up a number of weekend jobs that didn't pay well. (Somehow, babysitting and dog walking wasn't what she had in mind when she'd first moved to New York City). Currently, she was working the Saturday shift at her local Duane Reade as a sales associate. It was minimum wage like most of the other on the side jobs she was doing, but she couldn't refuse any amount of money coming her way.

It was a bleak night. It had been pouring for hours now and customers tracked in water and dry leaves as they ducked in and out of the store. Cindy had been assigned to rearranging the cosmetics aisle. As she applied price stickers to bottles of nail polish, her eye caught a flyer wedged underneath the last shelf. Abandoning the last few bottles of puppy pink polish, she picked up the flyer.

_"__Scientist seeking competent lab assistant. Must have a firm grasp of college level chemistry and physics. (At the very least) Email resume and cover letter to following address. Pay will be considerably high."_

That night, Cindy had pondered sending in her resume. She had taken a few advanced science courses in college and she'd aced them. And she did need the money…

She took out her laptop and started typing furiously.

* * *

On Thursday night, Cindy found herself in front of a red brick brownstone a few subway stations away from her crappy rundown studio apartment. Pea plants were growing all over the side of the building, and the second floor balcony was crammed with weird looking plants.

Before she even rung the doorbell, someone swung the door open. "Come in, I don't have all day." A man in a sterile white coat ushered her in. Cindy followed him through the eclectic apartment. Papers littered the carpets and sofas, and random science magazines were strewn about on the dining room table. "Sorry, I didn't get your name—"

He turned back to her with an exasperated expression. "It's James but call me Jimmy."

Cindy gasped. "You're James…Neutron?"

"Bravo." He gave a faux clap. "I certainly hope you catch on quicker when you're actually in the lab." Cindy frowned. She wondered if he was always this short with everyone. But he was a certified genius...and she had always known them to be eccentric figures.

"Okay…I don't know if I should be here…I mean didn't you win a _Nobel Prize_ last year?"

"Yes, but your credentials seem fine, and I need an assistant." He faced her now, arms crossed over his coat. Cindy was caught off guard by his electric blue eyes. She felt a blush rise to her cheeks just as he turned away once more to rifle through some papers on the table behind him. "So, are you in or not, Miss Vortex? I've got to get back to my particle accelerator- "

Cindy bit her lip before breaking out into a wide smirk. "Cool your jets, I'm in, Neutron."

"Jimmy." He corrected, throwing her a pair of goggles over his shoulder. She caught them and put them on.

"Whatever you say, _Nerdtron_." She mumbled under her breath. This was going to be a fun experiment…


	8. Assistant II

**Another short one-shot in my Assistant AU. **  
**I'll try to write longer ones when I have a chance!**

**Thank you to everyone who's read and left comments so far!**

* * *

"_Neu_tron! I told you not to use the iron sulphate!"

"I think I know a little bit more about how to run my own design than you do, Vortex."

"Oh _please_, you basically hired me to learn more than you about your own designs so I could point out your mistakes."

"I'm perfectly capable of catching my own mistakes—"

The solution bubbled over, spreading all over the table. He shrieked. "That wasn't supposed to happen!" He cried out in frustration.

"No shit, Sherlock!" Cindy ran to his cupboard to retrieve the dilution agent before the solution burnt a hole in his table. She doused the solution with the clear green liquid and breathed a sigh of relief as it hissed and bubbled.

"How did you even stay alive before I got here? At this rate, I'm surprised you haven't died yet or at the very least, botched up the furniture…"

"I almost did die a few weeks ago." He said quietly, solemnly recalling the memory.

Cindy gasped. "I'm sorry Neutron, I—I didn't know."

"My last assistant was sort of negligent…she wasn't paying attention to the flaws in my particle map and one of the structures electrocuted me."

Cindy touched his shoulder sympathetically. He immediately looked at her, and she awkwardly retracted her hand. After a moment, he offered her his palm. She flipped it over to find black marks and scars covering the backs of his fingers, running all the way down to his coat sleeve.

"Neutron, these are bad. Who was this terrible assistant of yours?"

"It doesn't matter." He looked ahead at the wall. "You won't make that mistake. I trust you."

Cindy's heart rate doubled.

"Really?" She shyly tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He nodded.

"You're by far the most observant assistant I've ever had."

"Hold on, this is a moment to cherish. This may be the first and last time you compliment someone other than yourself."

"Ha ha Vortex. Now get back to writing up the data tables."

"I already finished them." She handed him a clipboard complete with ten sets of charts.

He raised his eyebrows.

"Your productivity level has tripled since you first started working for me."

Cindy smirked. "I can be very productive when I want to be, Neutron."

"Very well then, you've earned a break."

Her eyes lit up. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes." She walked towards the stairs and then changed her mind and turned around. Jimmy glanced up at her, sporting a perplexed look. "Time is ticking, Vortex. You only have fourteen minutes and twenty three seconds left—"

"Do you want to come with me?" She managed.

He scoffed. "Don't be silly, I'm on a deadline. And I don't take breaks."

"Maybe if you took breaks, you'd make less mistakes because of fatigue or carelessness."

"Thirteen minutes and thirty six seconds." He tapped his watch.

"You're hopeless, Neutron." She rolled her eyes.

Right as she was about to make her way downstairs, Jimmy called her name.

"Cindy?"

"Mhmm?" She turned around.

"Thanks for asking me. No one's ever asked."

"Don't mention it."


	9. Assistant III

**Continuation of the Assistant AU! **

**Note- This one is slightly smutty. Nothing too risqué but just a heads up!**

**I appreciate all the reviews so far, please keep them coming so I know how I'm doing! :)**

* * *

Cindy was going through Neutron's planner, meticulously highlighting dates and taking notes. _Uninterrupted lab time from 6am to 1pm. Meeting with Astrophysics Council at 2. Meeting with the Mayor at 3:25. More lab time._

"Neutron?"

Jimmy looked up. "Yes, Vortex?"

"Who's Alicia? You're supposed to see her tomorrow night at eight. You never have appointments after six." Cindy looked at him earnestly, biting her lip in concentration.

"Just a colleague who's taking me out to dinner." He shrugged it off and continued turning his wrench around a greasy socket. His sweaty brown hair fell against his forehead, shaggily brushing the tips of his brilliant blue eyes as he intently screwed away. Cindy's heart raced as she fixed her gaze on him. Of course he had a life beyond the lab…it was ludicrous of her to think that even Neutron could be entirely devoid of social interaction.

"A colleague, huh?" She tapped the highlighter against the table somewhat nervously. He finally drew himself up to full height and faced her, letting out a sigh.

"Alicia works with Jones to procure my equipment. So we see each other frequently when I'm first starting a new project or when I need to apply for a grant. She asked me to go with her to dinner tomorrow, so I accepted." The look on his face was ambiguous.

Cindy needed a moment to digest the information. She'd asked, he'd accepted. So he was going on…a date. It took a few seconds for it to hit her completely. Neutron was going on a date. She was shell-shocked. It wasn't the fact that he was utterly tactless, or even the fact that he had better plans for a Friday night than she did, but that she didn't feel entirely happy about the idea of him going on…dates. Of course her opinion on the matter didn't carry any weight—she was only his assistant, after all. But she was finding that the boundaries between personal and professional were becoming more and more difficult to maneuver.

She looked down at the planner in front of her. The red eight she had highlighted stared up at her as if to taunt her. She glanced back at Neutron, who had returned to his nuts, bolts, and screws.

What would it be like if it wasn't Alicia on that date, but her? Cindy Vortex?

She and Neutron would probably kill each other before they even decided on appetizers. Although, come to think of it, they had shared dinner a few times in the lab on days when Neutron had to rush a deadline. Just a few nights ago, they'd ordered in Chinese, and last week, Neutron had ordered in a pizza for them to split while they waited for their experiments to synchronize. They'd sat on the couch and watched a documentary on the butterfly effect. Of course, they'd ended the night arguing about the scientists' opposing views regarding Lorenz's methods of postulation.

"Cindy?" He called her name. She'd been looking off into the distance pensively for a solid minute now.

Cindy turned around, arrested by the sight of Neutron's sparkling eyes and the beads of sweat suspended on his tanned neck. She stepped closer to him until there remained no space between their bodies. Her lab coat rustled against his, black cotton against white nylon. "Cindy?" his voice came out very soft.

Cindy could barely bring herself to meet his gaze as she fingered the hem of his shirt beneath his coat. Shyly, she leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on his parted lips.

He immediately raised a hand to his lips after she kissed him, as if he'd burned her and not kissed her. Her face was bright red and she still hadn't quite mustered the courage to meet his slightly perplexed look. He set his hands behind himself defensively, placing them on the table to steady himself. A shaky buzz permeated through his head as he focused on Cindy's erratic breathing pattern.

Her eyes were averted in shame, and her cheeks were still a harsh shade of scarlet. A strand of hair had escaped her tight ponytail. He reached forward as if in a trance, to tuck it away, letting his mouth linger below the crook of her ear. Gently, he placed his lips to her neck, sucking on the smooth skin there. Cindy brought her hands up his shirt, feeling his tense muscles loosen as she rested his hand above his jeans. He shifted his mouth to her jaw, and languorously drew his lips over hers. She followed his cue and pressed against him until he could feel every curve in her body crush against his chest. As their lips collided in a burst of passion, Jimmy reminded himself that Cindy was his _assistant_ and pulled away abruptly.

Somehow, this thought sobered his desire to kiss her. This whole incident was thoroughly inappropriate on his part. And hers too, seeing as she'd instigated it.

He looked up at her. She was trying her best to mask her obvious disappointment. He shuffled uncomfortably past her.

"Right, umm…if you're done with my schedule…I think you can take off early for the night." He mumbled.

"Okay. See you tomorrow I guess." She offered in a soft, vulnerable tone.

She scrambled her things into her bag and made off before he could even say goodbye.

He stared at the spot where they'd stood just moments ago and sighed. Things had been so simple…so simple…

* * *

Cindy berated herself as she waited for the uptown train. _What had she been thinking?_

One moment, she'd been stewing in jealousy over Alicia, the next, she'd been...making out with Neutron.

_Neutron. _

He was condescending, arrogant, irritating, insufferable. (Among a host of other things) But he was also..._Neutron_.

Which meant he was charming (in an offhand way), passionate, quirky, and smart as hell.

But that didn't give her free reign to kiss him! She'd crossed a line in their professional relationship. She wasn't even worried about being fired for her conduct, or losing her primary source of income. She was worried about not seeing him again...and not working with him. Although she grumbled about the job to her friends all the time, she did love it in all honesty. She loved teasing Neutron about how messy his reduction formulas were, she loved charting the progress of reactions, she loved getting her hands dirty wiring and screwing and hammering. It was the sole source of stimulation in her mundane college life. And to have the opportunity taken away from her because of one mistake...

Tears misted at the edges of her eyes. She hated herself.

* * *

The next morning, she awaited a call or email or text signaling the end of their partnership. But it never came. So she courageously trudged herself down the street to the subway and boarded the train.

_How would she even face him?_

_Play it cool. Act like it didn't happen. Go about your business. _

* * *

Cindy let herself into the lab, throwing her stuff down on the couch. She glanced at the planner on the counter to confirm Neutron's first appointment.

_Meeting with Astrophysics Council at 2. _

And then, involuntarily, Cindy's eyes travelled to the next page.

Dinner with Alicia at 8pm was crossed out in sharpie.


	10. Assistant IV

**I'm sorry this is dragging out for longer than I intended considering this is a oneshot collection and this assistant thing should probably just be its own story but I like it in a freestyle format where I can pick it up at any given point and be able to write and rewrite alternative endings to the AU! **

**But people seem to like it, and so here's the next installment in the Assistant AU. (Thanks to those who read and reviewed, please keep doing so, your kind words/interest keep me going!)**

**Also, this will be updated more frequently since I've set a word goal for myself for the month!**

* * *

Cindy jumped as she heard footsteps in the hallway. She slammed the planner shut even though she wasn't doing anything wrong—she had just been checking up on his morning appointments. She shoved it across the table until it was far away from her.

"Did you start the notes on the generator?" His voice sounded across the lab as he brushed past her without even looking at her. Her heart sunk. She nodded her head no.  
"Well?" He shook his head. "I don't pay you to stand around, Vortex."

She grabbed the clipboard on the counter and ran over to the containment zone, feeling smarted by his unfair jab. She never stalled her work—she was always diligent and helpful. She let out an angry huff as she pulled on her gloves. If he was going to be that way, fine. Two could play at that game.

* * *

Jimmy threw a cursory glance at Cindy working conscientiously on her notes. He instantly felt bad for his vindictive comment. But then he remembered her thoroughly improper behavior in the lab yesterday night. _What had she been thinking?_

Although, if he had to be honest, he hadn't exactly pushed her away at first—he'd responded to her advances with equal eagerness until he'd realized how wrong it was. Oh, blast it all!

He hated to admit it to himself but he was troublingly infatuated with her. Her sparkling emerald eyes and long blonde hair constantly mesmerized him. Her work ethic was admirable as was the depth of her aptitude in the sciences. She challenged him endlessly-questioning his methods and results, criticizing his analyses and his postulates, annoying him to no end in the process—but there was no doubt that she was irreplaceable. Even his greatest rivals didn't dare to face off with the formidable force that was Cindy Vortex. She could hold her own quite efficiently, and he found it an endearing trait.

And of course he'd spent all last night thinking about all of this—after he'd cancelled his date with Alicia.

Alicia had sounded quite disappointed and he'd felt bad, but he knew if he had gone on the date, he would have spent all the time pretending like he was listening to Alicia when he really was thinking of Cindy. And furthermore, it felt wrong…to share such an intimate moment with Cindy and then go on a date with another girl on the same night. He hadn't been sure if he would have been able to shake the memory of her body pressed up against his, the distinct softness of her lips and the willowy curve of her waist—

Suddenly, he seemed to notice that he hadn't begun his work at all. She was such a distraction. It was good that they were working opposite sides of the lab today.

* * *

After an unusually quiet morning, Cindy broke the silence as she interrupted his fervent typing. "You have a meeting with the mayor in thirty minutes."

"Cancel it, I need to finish this—"

"You are not skipping a meeting with the mayor—"

"I'm in the middle of something—" He didn't even look up at her.

"I pressed your damn suit and found your notes so you better go to this. You can't blow off the mayor, Neutron. He funds your—"

"For the love of Tesla Vortex, lay off me, you're not my wife—"

Cindy's lips curled into an angry frown. She threw down the newly pressed suit draped on her arm onto the table.

"You know what? Go, don't go, I don't care anymore, Neutron." She threw up her hands in defeat, turning to leave. "And you can't even bloody look at me." She added.

He finally averted his gaze from his keypad. "I'm looking at you, are you happy?"

"I don't know. Should I be? I mean, clearly I'm not paid for you to stand around and look at me." She mocked.

"Cindy—" Regret filled his throat.

"I make one mistake and you have to crucify me for it." Emotion filled her voice although she tried her level best to maintain her façade of coolness. "Of course any good work I do is instantly discredited by the fact that I made a mistake and followed my damn heart and acted on impulse—"

"I cancelled my date with Alicia, Vortex." He pointed out, bitterly.

"You think I'm supposed to feel good about you throwing that in my face?" She spat.  
"I'm not throwing anything in your face, I'm stating a simple fact—"

"Right, in case you didn't notice, absolutely nothing about this—" She motioned between them, "is even remotely simple."

Her eyes travelled instinctively to the clock. "And if you plan on receiving your grant, you better get yourself over to town hall within the next ten minutes. I'm not driving you." She cast him a dirty look before throwing his notes on top of the blue suit and walking out angrily.

He stared after her, awestruck.

* * *

The next day, she came in on the dot—not a minute earlier or later than strictly necessary. She walked up to him fearlessly and pointed to the shoddy letter he was working on. "Neutron, I already mailed the mayor a thank you basket and a letter on your behalf because you aren't exactly the most adept at acts of gratitude." Before he could protest or say anything snarky in response, she put up a hand. "I'm not done yet. Hear me out."

He looked at her, taken aback by the cold tone of her voice.

"I made a mistake and crossed the line and I'm sorry. But what you chose to do or choose to do with or without Alicia in the future is none of my concern. I propose that we go back to working on amicable terms but on an entirely professional level."

He could already feel a strange tinge of regret forming in his heart…

"Just to clarify, that means no late night pizza, no movies, no out of work favors. We will work together during and only during the frame of hours we agreed on in my employment contract."

He found himself nodding, but knew that even as he was agreeing to this oddly upsetting arrangement, it was the way it was meant to be originally. He hadn't been looking for a girlfriend after all…he'd been looking for an assistant…and she was certainly a competent one. He ignored the impulsive thought to disagree to her terms, but he felt himself slipping into submissive passivity. Surely it was better for both of them to draw boundaries? After all…they'd never have worked. And they were probably more productive as just a scientist and a lab assistant respectively…he sighed.

"Okay." He acquiesced to the terms in utter surrender. "Let's get to work then."


	11. Supporting Role

**This month has been crazy because of my internship and college work, but I finally managed to crank this out!**

**This is not a continuation of the assistant story because I was dying to work on this idea instead. But no worries, I'll go back to the assistant string at some point- I promise it won't go unfinished. **

**Until then, here's a one-shot about JC receiving college acceptance letters. Truth be told, it was very difficult for me to imagine how these two would actually react given the situation, but I tried my best. It was especially difficult to imagine how Cindy might react although generally she's easier for me to write than Jimmy.**

**Feel free to critique/comment on my interpretation of the characters' actions/feelings in this!  
And thank you again to all my readers/reviewers!**

* * *

For everyone except Retroville High's two smartest students, Jimmy Neutron and Cindy Vortex, March 29th was an uneventful day. The school food continued to puzzle and disgust freshmen and seniors alike, and classes seemed to last an eternity as always. However, school food and long classes only served to exacerbate Jimmy and Cindy's anxiety, although they had dealt with much worse than bad lunch meat and annoying math teachers in the past. Even so, the day seemed to drag on torturously.

* * *

When the bell finally rung, Cindy found herself standing in front of Jimmy's locker. He was already there, waiting for her. She wordlessly gazed at the textbooks in his hands, her expression blank. She tried to hide her shaking hands in her coat pockets, but Jimmy reached out for them and clasped them in his own to reassure her.

"Hey, it'll be okay, Vortex." His kind tone lifted her spirits just a bit.

She could barely bring herself to look up into his piercing blue eyes; she was fighting the shameful sting of tears that had gathered like a film over her eyes. She repressed the urge to cry and nodded her head silently. Hand in hand, they walked in utter speechlessness down the hallway, a rare occurrence for them. Anyone who knew Jimmy and Cindy knew that their normal mode of communication was framed by a series of tense, quarrelsome interactions that generally ended in some sort of passionate physical contact. This was not the case today, as the two remained content to walk back to Jimmy's lab in a consuming sort of muteness.

As they made their way up the path to the lab, Jimmy punched in his entry code on the security keypad and authorized Vox to permit Cindy into his lab as well. Jimmy's voice trembled as he commanded Vox to retrieve his mail from the outdoor chute. And sure enough, there it was. A white envelope, with an elegant red seal and the address of the university of every academic's dreams—Harvard University.

The two had agreed to open their letters together, although Cindy's had come in a day earlier than Jimmy's. She'd fought back the urge to rip open her envelope at several points throughout the night and the following day, and her mother had found it ridiculous that Cindy was choosing to delay some of the most important news of her life in order to keep a promise to "that boy".

But Cindy knew deep in her heart that she wouldn't have wanted it any other way, whether it broke her heart or not. She turned to Jimmy and squeezed his hand before pulling away to fish through her backpack to find her envelope. She extracted it with extreme care. The two shared a longing look before they each ripped the seals and drew out the letters…

* * *

_"__Dear Mr. James Isaac Neutron, _

_I am delighted to inform you that the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has voted to offer you a place in the Harvard class of…"_

_"__Dear Ms. Cynthia Vortex,_

_With sincere regret I must report that the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has completed its selection of the class entering in…we were most grateful to even have received applications from so many students like you…although you may be disappointed…"_

* * *

Before she even looked up, Cindy could tell that Jimmy had been admitted. Truth be told, she'd known it since the day she'd met him all those years ago. He was brilliant, clever, and creative, not to mention the fact that he had spent eighteen years of his life making amazingly complex inventions.

Cindy's eyes misted over in tears yet again. She reprimanded herself for her involuntary show of emotion. She'd known this was coming. She'd been admitted at Princeton, Yale, Columbia, NYU, among other colleges. But not Harvard.

And there it was-the inescapable truth of her life—that she was doomed to a sub par existence. The truth that haunted her every waking moment, the truth that weighed her down more than a hundred stones ever could. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to keep from falling apart into Neutron's arms, or taking part in some similarly melodramatic expression of emotion. She reminded herself that this shouldn't have even come as a shock…

* * *

Meanwhile, Jimmy's hands rested firmly on his now opened envelope. He examined the plastic seal intently as if to avoid even looking at Cindy. If he was being honest with himself, he had always known he would get into any university of his choosing. His grades were flawless, his inventions were far ahead of his time, and he had already done quite a few projects for major research organizations across the globe. How could they not accept him? Conceited way of thinking, sure, but in the end, it was simply the truth.

Jimmy Neutron was destined for great things.

But Cindy…his heart ached for her…

She was astute, deeply emotionally aware, and very skilled at the liberal arts. This was not to say her skill in the sciences was anything less than extraordinary, but merely to say that her passions lied in the intangible, the abstract. If not for Jimmy Neutron, Cindy Vortex would have been valedictorian and top of her class. But Jimmy Neutron, being the outlier he was, had thrown a wrench in Cindy Vortex's path, merely by merit of existence. His natural genius had barricaded her carefully trained prowess from day one.

Of course she'd been admitted to every other Ivy she'd applied to and some, but Jimmy knew her well enough to know she would take this very harshly. This would only reaffirm her worst fear of relative mediocrity. (Although to be fair, Jimmy reasoned, her standard of comparison was rather flawed to begin with) Jimmy knew Cindy of all people was anything but mediocre. Her talent extended well beyond the sphere of academics. She was an accomplished martial arts master, and she was also a classically trained pianist and vocalist. She was competitive to the point of aggression, but Jimmy had found over the years that this was a rather endearing trait. He'd never thought much of it as she might have—as a floatation device, a lifejacket. He didn't comprehend that for her, competition was the sole mode of survival, the sole mode of rising above the water that threatened to drown her at any given moment.

He sighed and finally looked at her. She was trying her best to keep it together, he could tell. She was disappointed, as he had guessed, and sorely so. He wondered if it was safe to reach out to her, if this of all things would sever their delicately knit ties. "Cindy?" His voice rang out in a mixture of pity and heartbreak and fear.

She couldn't even bring herself to meet his gaze. She averted her eyes from the very sight of him by focusing on her shoes. She wanted to scream. Was she ever good enough? Could she ever be anything more than this? Would she always feel like a second rate scholar?

The worst thing was the pride and love that was filling her heart. It threatened to spill over into an embrace of some kind. She ached to let her boyfriend know that she had known all along that he'd make it. She ached to let him know that she was so, so proud of him.

But she found that his victory so often came at the price of her own. And that was the way it had always been, and seemed, would always be. Cindy Vortex was cursed to play the supporting role.

"Cindy?"

Against her better judgment, Cindy let herself face him. She found the courage to look him straight in the face. "Congratulations, Neutron." Her voice came off much more bitter than she intended and her sour expression belayed her deep jealousy. The jealousy hidden away beneath the love and the pride was now rearing its ugly head at the worst possible moment, and she found herself too exhausted to pull out her whip and tame it.

"Cindy, I'm sorry—you know I wanted you to get in just as much as you did."

"I guess." She shrugged. "Although I don't expect you to understand how it feels." She blurted out.

"Understand how what feels?" He gave her a confused look.

Her voice quivered as she breathed a deep sigh. "Failure."

Jimmy felt something break inside of him with an incredible force.

"Cindy, please don't think you failed just because—" He took a moment to swallow the lump in his throat. "You have to know that this doesn't change anything. You're still the brilliant girl we all know."

"Easy for you to say. You've never spent your life being the perpetual silver medalist."

Jimmy moved closer to her and settled one hand on her shoulder and the other on her cheek. He lovingly traced the line of her jawbone before pulling her into a hug.

"Cindy, don't reduce yourself to silver. At the very least remember that you deserve your silver. You work hard—"

"You don't get it, Neutron." Her lips grazed his.

"I work hard for nothing—"

"Princeton is not nothing. Nor is Yale. Or Columbia." He pointed out.

"Simple question, Neutron. Would you have been happy with just those?"

"It's not the same—" He argued.

"Answer the question." Her voice was filled with deadly venom.

He couldn't say no, he couldn't say it. But he knew it was simultaneously the most correct and the most incorrect answer he could possibly give.

"No." He admitted defeatedly.

"And there you have it." She sent him a smug look, eyes burning with a volatile fire.

"That doesn't mean I wouldn't be perfectly happy at those other institutions, Vortex!" He cried out.

"It doesn't change the fact I will always be second to you no matter what I do."

Jimmy looked at her, a deep throb of fear already welling in his throat.

"Cindy?" His voice was quiet, unassuming.

A few tears streaked down her cheek. She quickly brushed them away so as not to look weak. He touched her shoulder very gently. She nestled her head against his chest. "I…I love you."

"I love you too, Cindy."

"And I'm really proud of you, Jimmy. Believe me, no one is happier than I am that you've been as successful as we all expected." A slight tremor tinged her words.

He held her closer and stroked her smooth blond tresses. He wanted so much to stay like this forever. But he knew forever wasn't that easy…

Cindy hesitated for a second before she turned around and gently kissed him on the mouth. After a minute, she completely retracted herself from him.

"But maybe—" Her voice was on the brink of breaking.

"Maybe it's time I stepped out of your shadow for a bit."

"Cindy-"

She touched his cheek longingly.

"I've been playing the supporting role in my own story for so, so long..." She whispered. Her soft breath grazed his lips.

"Cindy..." Jimmy stared directly into her tear filled emerald eyes with a deep regret.

_Please don't go._

The ghosts of the words died on his lips as she turned and walked away quietly. He had the odd feeling that he'd lost much more than he'd gained, and for once victory felt much more like defeat.

As he watched her lithe figure fade into a silhouette as she made her way down the dark hallway out of the lab, he felt waves of sadness wash over him. How could genius be such a wonderful and terrible thing all at once? Costing him the things and the people he loved, but providing him with a immense world of his own...


	12. Starring Role

**I wanted to offer a short but happier alternative to the last one-shot, and since I didn't see Jimmy getting turned down given his natural genius, I decided to make it so they both received acceptance letters this time around!**

**I'm also aware that this fandom seems effectively dead, at least in terms of fan-fiction, so this may seem pointless. But I'm determined to continue writing about my favorite pair because I enjoy it and I believe that writing fan-fiction really does help me practice writing in a medium other than poetry!**

**That being said, I'd like to thank the meager few who have been reading my work and others' work on the JN section of this website. It really helps keep the love for the show alive when people take interest in fan work for the show years after its finale!**

* * *

_"Dear Mr. James Isaac Neutron,_

_I am delighted to inform you that the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has voted to offer you a place in the Harvard class of…"_

_"Dear Ms. Cynthia Aurora Vortex,_

_I am delighted to inform you that the Committee on Admissions and Financial Aid has voted to offer you a place in the Harvard class of…"_

* * *

A triumphant scream pierced the walls of the lab. "Neutron, I got in!" Cindy's bright green eyes lit up with a wild sort of joy. She grabbed ahold of him and kissed him on the lips with unmatched fervor. He picked her up and spun her around and they started to laugh together as she landed on her feet.

"I can't believe it!" She squealed, "We did it!"

"No, Cindy, _you_ did it."

She beamed up at him with an inimitable sort of joy. Receiving verbal affirmation of her accomplishments filled Cindy with a rare sort of pleasure. There were so few people who were willing to let her be her own person, so few people willing to let her claim her achievements as her own.

It was ironic then, that the only person who fully encouraged her headstrong spirit and aggressively competitive nature was her academic rival—Jimmy Neutron. Of course, he was much more than just a rival now…but he'd certainly had a hand in boosting her self-esteem and sense of security.

What she loved most about him in this moment was his willingness to let her slip onto the center stage despite the fact this was his moment too. He understood that this was far greater an accomplishment for her than it was for him—this wasn't to say he hadn't worked for his acceptance. But perhaps it said something to the fact he was guaranteed to succeed if only he applied his natural genius. Cindy, on the other hand, while talented and incredibly hard working, had not had an IQ of two hundred and ten to fall back on. Her victory had come entirely out of a carefully honed work ethic, years of backbreaking work in a number of disciplines, and constant pressure from her parents. Cindy's victory, quite simply put, wasn't always inevitable, where Neutron's (save for any emotional victories) was predictable and in most cases, expected.

She imagined that to take its toll on him as well—it couldn't be easy to live your life defined by a number that relinquished your right to be wrong or your right to not know something. It couldn't be easy to constantly have to try and outdo yourself.

All she knew, when it came down to it, was that they were destined for great things. Apart, they were powerful, but together, they were unstoppable; their passion and pride was unparalleled. They were fated to pull the stars from the sky and sew them into a story of fire and fierceness.


	13. A Nightmare Dressed Like a Daydream

**A very ****grim idea of mine based on a prompt I saw tonight. Sorry for the multiple updates but I'm really feeling the JC love today!**

**As usual, reviews and critique are welcome!**

* * *

He was restless all night. His mind had chained him indefinitely to the torture of memory.

And he knew that every hour he stayed awake thinking of her would be an hour he would have to swallow down the tears and pretend like he was ready for tomorrow…

* * *

Jimmy had been conducting experiments using icicles in the park. As he came up the path that lead back to his neighborhood, he noticed that Cindy was sitting in the cold on a wet bench, rubbing her hands together frantically to generate some warmth. She was clothed in a thin full-sleeved shirt and jeans.

He walked up to her. He called her name a few times to no avail. She was too preoccupied with her thoughts. Finally, he brushed some of the snow off of the bench and sat beside her.

"Do you want my gloves?"

She nodded her head no.

He slipped them off anyways and left them on her lap. She looked indignant for a moment before she snatched them up. On closer examination, he saw tears forming in her eyes…but before he had a chance to offer her a warm sanctuary in his lab or even his coat, she pushed him off the bench and in the most hoarse voice he'd ever heard her use, commanded him to leave her alone to her misery. He'd gotten up, dusted the snow and water from his pants and offered her a hand. She motioned to him to leave once more and he'd left her there…and when he turned back to look at her, she could see her sporting his gloves and clasping her hands to her mouth, her lips kissing the knit fabric quietly…

* * *

"Cindy, I got you a present…" His voice had been shy, anxious even. He remembered feeling strangely scared, as if he was being put on trial by a panel of judges and not the girl he'd loathed (and who loathed him) until very recently…

"A mollusk?" Her disappointment shone through even though she pronounced it charming.

"You're supposed to open it." He sounded much more confident than he felt.

She delicately pried the shell open to find a shining pearl. She let out a gasp and fingered the jewel carefully. "Oh Jimmy…it's beautiful."

His heart quickened. He'd impressed her…perhaps even made her happy.

"It was nothing really…I looked through a couple of oysters…a hundred and thirty seven actually…" He was rambling. _You buffoon! She doesn't care how many oysters you looked through! Way to look like even more of a show off…_

But Cindy ate it up. She moved closer to him and held out her hand for him to take. "That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me…"

_You can't have very had many nice things then, dear…_

* * *

She looked absolutely radiant under the lamplight. Her skin glowed, her hair was neatly pulled into a bun, with only a few strands of hair falling over her emerald eyes. He'd found it difficult to keep himself away from her…

"Everything turned out alright in the end, huh?" He didn't know what possessed him but he took her hand and kissed her soft pink lips for what seemed like a long minute before he pulled away and walked ahead of her. She stood shell-shocked in the same spot for a second before she ran up to him and linked her hands in his. "Everything turned out perfectly." She affirmed.

* * *

Jimmy tossed and turned in his bed. One night of peace was all he asked, one night…he had to wake up early tomorrow…

* * *

There she was, beautiful as ever, even in death. She was contained in a black coffin carved with flowers. Her straight blond hair laid out behind her. Her eyes were closed, her eyelashes casting shadows across her cheekbone, which was touched with a hint of blush. Her lips were pursed, her pale body dressed in a form fitting dress…

He reached inside the coffin to touch her one last time…but they pulled the lid shut, slapping his hand away.

* * *

He woke up gasping. Before he even had time to orient himself to reality…a figure appeared in his doorway. It was his mother. "Jimmy, it's time to go to the funeral."


	14. If You Must Falter, Be Wise

**I wrote this with Disturbia by Rihanna on repeat in the background. This is an aged up version of JC on a trip to Australia (which is both a country and a ****continent). They get stranded for unknown reasons and as usual, their arguing comes to an rather...heated climax.**

**Again, appreciate the reviews! Keep them coming please!**

* * *

"Damn it, Neutron, this is all your fault!" Cindy kicked the sand around her.

"_My fault?_ You're the one who insisted on taking the Southern route because it was _allegedly_ faster!"

"The Southern route is faster when you account for southern currents and the Coriolis effect! But I guess we'll never know because you changed our charting yesterday night!" She prodded his red cotton shirt with one finger accusingly.

He laughed nervously, putting an arm behind his head. "I had to do that. Going with your plan might have gotten us stuck somewhere worse."

Cindy looked around. For miles around them, there was nothing but sand, dirt, and arid brush. It was hot as hell—the temperature was high enough that they might just burn to death right here in the desert. All considered, it really couldn't get worse.

"If you think there's something worse than being stranded in the middle of the Outback In July, please enlighten me Neutron."

Jimmy sighed. He was starting to sweat uncomfortably.

"Look, can we agree that this was a terrible idea on both our parts? Highly educated individuals like ourselves should have known better than to venture into Australia in the midst of the hottest summer since 1963." He pinched his shirt to let in some air to no avail.

"I still say it was your fault." She grumbled. He rolled his eyes. She could be such an immature brat. After a few moments, Cindy broke the silence that had taken over their company.

"So what the hell do we do for the next few hours, assuming we live that long? And don't say look for water, because unless a damn miracle happens, we're out of luck on that front."

"Luckily for me, I packed a few extra water bottles in the hover-car."

He gave her a smug grin.

"Luckily for _you?_ What about me?" She demanded, following suit and pinching her own shirt in vain.

"Girls who mock me don't get my water." He grinned.

Cindy rolled up the legs of her capris, revealing the pale hue of her thin, long legs. "Fine, see if I care. When I die, your name will be all over the headlines because you were a selfish—"

Jimmy wasn't listening. He made his way to the hover car a few feet away, and typed in the access code to the safe below his control system. Cindy followed him but was unable to catch his pin code.

He knew he would regret using their scant supply of water to spite her when they inevitably would need water later more than they did right now. But he raised the bottle to his lips, ocean blue eyes peering over the open cap at an enraged Cindy. Her fists were balled as he took his first sip and set the bottle down for a second. She lunged for it with obvious prowess but he grabbed it just in time to dangle it out of her reach. He capped it again and held it tight.

Cindy lunged once more, this time landing directly on top of him. Her heart was beating erratically against his, and their faces were close. He shifted to the left to move out from under her but thought better of it and instead cradled her as he tenderly cupped her cheek. He discarded the water bottle beside him and used his now free hand to cup her other cheek. She kissed him with abandon, pressing into him passionately. The two had to pull apart after a mere few minutes. It was simply too hot. Cindy's skin felt like it was combusting, and Jimmy felt like someone had set fireworks to his chest. They shared a quick, embarrassed glance, emerald and sapphire converging if only for half a second.

As they breathed heavily, recovering from the currently toxic fusion of body heat, Jimmy noticed the bottle of water they'd neglected. The cap hadn't been closed fully, and their precious water supply was slowly dribbling out onto the sand.

_If you must falter be wise._


	15. Do I Dare Disturb The Universe?

**Hello, amigops! This one-shot stems partly from a comment someone had made on a JN fic that suggested Jimmy would follow Cindy to college despite his store of degrees, simply to spend more time with her (read: get on her nerves).**

**I can't quite recall what fic I saw this comment on, but props to whoever said it. It also stems from from my desire to write about a college setting. ****I imagine them to be at one of the Ivy Leagues, although I never really picked one specifically.**

**Also, some readers gave me feedback on my other stories, suggesting I try something happy/non-tragic for a change, and this is the result of that. I'll admit I'm not particularly fabulous at romance, but ****whatever, I tried. _Fair warning that this is definitely not my best! _****In fact, I'm not satisfied with this at all, but I took the time to write it so I guess I'll share. I posted this as a stand alone one-shot two days ago and then deleted it, but I'm bringing it back in the interest of people who messaged me and told me the premise intrigued them!**

**All that preliminary jazz aside, onwards to the story!**

**Disclaimer: I lay no claims to the wonderful universe of Jimmy Neutron or the fantastic poetry of TS Eliot!**

* * *

_Among the porcelain, among some talk of you and me,_

_Would it have been worth while, to have bitten off the matter with a smile, _

_to have squeezed the universe into a ball? _

_To roll it toward some overwhelming question?_

\- T.S Eliot, The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock

* * *

The core requirements caused so much unnecessary grief. Jimmy Neutron had never been receptive to the liberal arts. Being forced to take literature and history classes as an undergraduate was the second worst part of college, the first being the food. Of course, he hadn't really given thought to a core curriculum when he'd come here…he'd already received various degrees via correspondence, and done some work for accredited organizations across the country. If anyone asked, he would probably maintain that he was pursuing knowledge for the sake of knowledge. The road commonly taken, if you will. But of course, there was that nagging voice scraping up against the periphery of his thoughts that insisted there was in fact a _real _reason he'd come. He tried to bury that voice underneath a plethora of formulae and mental blueprints for his new inventions, but it always resurfaced. So while Jimmy did indeed hold the pursuit of learning in the highest regard (even if it was impractical, abstract knowledge), his reasoning behind adding another degree to his cache was much less— wisdom-oriented. An involuntary blush rose to his cheeks at the thought, as he slid into his seat in English class. Shaking off his introspective mood, Jimmy settled for taking out his tablet.

Moments later, _she _was there. He could tell by the faint aroma of apple and jasmine that suddenly permeated the room. Her glossy blonde hair grazed the small of her back in a neat braid. Whenever he saw her, he couldn't help but compare her present appearance to her past appearances. It was a symptom of having grown up with her. He recalled her stages of aesthetic development— As a child, she'd sported pigtails and polished loafers. As a preteen, she'd perpetually tied her hair up in a tight pony-tail and donned khakis and pastel tank tops. In high school, she'd worn velvet skirts and pressed skinny jeans and lots of stockings. Her once graceless physique had given way to a newly lithe, elegant figure. He supposed she imagined him this way too— mentally progressing from his whippy-dip hairdo and short stature of the elementary school years to his current configuration—tall, messy haired, always wearing solid colored shirts and jeans.

"Contemplating your inevitable defeat on our test on the Romantics, Neutron?" She shot him a smirk and instantly, he was shaken out of his reverie.

"No, simply contemplating the probability of you ever scoring a victory against me."

Cindy scoffed. "You may have erased AP scores from your memory Neutron, but I sure as hell haven't."

"Oh please, I got a five on every single exam." He brushed off her barb without so much as a glance in her direction.

"Might I remind you that you ended up with a four in English?" She pointed out. "Kind of ironic given your downfall was Frankenstein. With the amount of time you spent in the lab senior year, you should have had a personal connection to that one."

_Ah yes, there was that little inconvenience. _He had ended up with a four in English, and Cindy had never let him live it down. Her constant jibes had prompted him to block the very notion of his lowly score from his mind.

Before he could offer a retort, their professor walked in. "We're switching from the Romantics to the Modernists today. To commence the new unit, I'm going to have you do a little out of class group work. You are to pick a partner and present a report on the poet of your choosing."

She motioned to the students to decide among themselves who their partners would be.

The voice in Jimmy's head urged him to ask Cindy to be his partner. She was…admittedly smart, and it couldn't hurt to spend a little more time with her…immediately, he extinguished the thought and glanced around him. The idea of _voluntarily_ working with Cindy was…ludicrous.

His various attempts at attaining a partner all went sourly. People who didn't want to partner with him sheepishly admitted they'd been thinking of someone else already, and people who might have actually wanted to work with him had already paired up. Defeated, he returned to his seat. He looked over at Cindy, who appeared to be part of a group of three girls. After a few moments of reflection, he realized his disappointment in being unable to acquire a partner was outstripped by the joyous idea of working alone. He could approach the assignment from any angle he so chose—he wouldn't be bounded by silly interactions regarding synchronization of work or arguments over a poet of choice—

The professor regarded Jimmy with a pleasantly surprised expression. "Do you have a partner, James?" He shook his head no in glee. She frowned and scanned the classroom.

"Ah! I knew we had a rogue somewhere." She gestured to Cindy, who was suddenly wearing a horrified expression. "Cynthia, you will work with James. We don't need a group of three with an even number of people in here. And I'm sure James will work better with a partner than by himself."

"But-" Cindy and Jimmy both rose to protest at the same time. Their professor paid them no heed, instead instructing the class to read over a handout detailing the parameters of the project. The two sighed, and sat back down in frustration.

* * *

After class, Jimmy stood in the doorway of the now vacant classroom. Choosing Cindy as a partner was one thing…but being assigned to work with her was another entirely. His lack of agency bothered him thoroughly. Cindy caught up with him, canvas tote slung over her shoulder.

"So, why do you think this always happens?" It wasn't an unprecedented question. It seemed they were always getting paired up on group projects. Jimmy shuddered, recalling some particularly explosive arguments that had come of their high school partnerships.

Cindy rolled her eyes.

"For a genius, you can be pretty dumb, Neutron. We're the smartest students, so we usually end up working together." Cindy stood poised for a fight, hand on her hip and scowl gracing her lips.

"But I'm _the _smartest student, so shouldn't I be able to bypass these petty group projects? I could be far more productive working on my own."

Cindy sighed. "You're also the _least _socially competent student, which is why you'd benefit from some lessons in interpersonal relations and teamwork."

Jimmy scoffed, brushing his messy brown hair out of his eyes. "You're barely one to talk, Vortex. Your skills lie primarily in intimidation and unwarranted hostility. I doubt you know much about effective communication."

Cindy glared at the bigheaded genius, in awe at his inability to talk to her in a remotely dignified manner. His dismissive nature angered her to the point of exhaustion, but she swallowed down her frustration in the interest of the assignment.

"I don't have time to argue with you Einstein. Just meet me in the library after your last class of the day so we can start working on this project. The sooner we get it over with, the better."

He nodded and began to walk away.

"And bring your laptop." She called out, as they headed in different directions. "Mine is being repaired."

* * *

At around six PM, Jimmy sauntered through the double doors of the campus library, exhausted but equipped with his laptop. A quick look around the first floor was enough for him to gauge that people were actually beginning to worry about midterm examinations. The tables were filled. He frowned…how was he supposed to find Cindy?

As soon as the concern arose, it disappeared, as Cindy waved to him from across the room. He made his way over to her and pulled up a chair next to her. She had a ton of books spread out against the table, and she'd taken meticulous notes on a fresh sheet of paper.

"Wow, you're taking this really seriously, Vortex." He gazed in surprise at the tangible evidence of her effort.

"Not all of us are getting a degree for fun, Neutron." She didn't even look up from her reading.

"So I take it you've made a unilateral decision as to which modernist poet we're presenting?"

"_However_ did you come to that conclusion?" She spat sarcastically. "Genius." She muttered underneath her breath.

"Vortex, remember when the professor said this was a group project? Ergo, it involves the input of more than one person?" He watched her as she continued to pore over different volumes. He picked one up despite her irritated countenance. "T.S Eliot?"

"Good job, you can read."

"Way to pick the most obvious choice."

"Also the best choice." She countered. "His poetry is some of the best to come out of the movement. "

"I'm not quite sure if _The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock_ is what I would call particularly astonishing."

"Let's see you write something of equal calibre, Neutron." She challenged. "Oh right, I forgot that you couldn't write your way out of a paper bag."

"I can definitely come up with something better than a poem about an old insecure man with a bunch of pretentious literary references thrown in."

"I'll believe it when I see it. Until then, save your poetic prowess for our project. I want an A _even though_ you're my partner."

He shot her an angry look.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"If you haven't noticed, Neutron, you're not exactly the paragon of literary merit. If I recall, your tenth grade portfolio for creative writing honors included a thirteen page ode to the the noble gases." She smirked.

"I can ascertain from your smug nature that you seem to consider yourself some sort of modern Keats."

Cindy offered a bitter, unamused look. "Bottom line is that I've definitely got more in the way of talent in English than you. And I have the grades to prove it too, freak-brain."

"I wouldn't want to overstep boundaries, Vortex." He looked at the cross blonde across from him. "The humanities don't really require…talent per se."

Cindy gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. "Just like monkeying around with a wrench for several hours doesn't need much talent." Before he could say a word in response, she gathered her things and shoved them into her bag. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go work by myself, since you so obviously have enough of an aptitude in language to score an A all on your own."

"Fine, see if I care. It's not like I can't read, interpret, and present my findings just as well as you could." The voice in Jimmy's head issued a warning that he'd taken things a notch too far, which he swiftly suppressed in favor of his annoyance at the haughty girl he was being cruelly forced to endure a entire project with. He stared after Cindy, as her silhouette disappeared into a maze of bookshelves. This was going to be one hell of a night.

* * *

Cindy fought the faint sting of tears as she made her way up to the fifth floor of the library. It was one thing to hear Neutron's insults leveled at her on a playful level, and quite another to hear his insults leveled at her on a deeply personal level. She supposed she would have let it slide were it anyone else, but it was _Neutron_. Cindy was deeply aware that most science and math majors had egos the size of Texas. She wouldn't put it past a physics major to decry the value of the humanities: it was just what they did, and it was _their_ loss.

But coming from Neutron, it hurt a little. Did he still think her talent-less, incapable of holding her own, even now? She shook her head and brushed away the slight wetness from her eyes. As she exited the elevator, she noted the clock. It was only six thirty. She had tons of time to complete all her work. She set her books down at a table in the far back and began to read and take notes.

* * *

Jimmy was aware on some level that he had crossed a line. He'd been reading poetry books for hours but his mind was vaguely distracted by the thought that he had indeed traversed a dangerous path. It wasn't like he entirely intended to insult her, but she made it so damn hard not to. Not only had she taken control over their project without even consulting him, she 'd also suggested his skill in the humanities was less than satisfactory.

Jimmy bit the inside of his cheek as he considered this. True, his sparse attempts at creative writing weren't exactly worthy of a Pulitzer, but he did have a decent vocabulary and a pretty solid grasp on the formulaic essence of a term paper.

Mulling over what he'd said to Cindy in his head was becoming somewhat of a pain. He sighed and shut the books, hoping to turn in for the night. His laptop had no charge left either, and he'd left the charger in his room. He turned from his desk to see a very empty library.

He was the sole one still here. He wondered how he'd missed the timings on the front door or the warning announcements. Before he headed for the elevators, he gave the double doors near the entrance a try. No luck. They were locked from the outside. No matter, he'd just call campus security. He dug his hands in his pockets to find he hadn't brought his phone. He mentally kicked himself as he realized his phone was sitting in his dorm. Along with his watch, which was undergoing a repair, and his laptop charger. He shook his head in anger. Being unprepared for this kind of eventuality was one thing, admitting it to Cindy was another entirely. But hopefully, she had her phone on her.

* * *

Jimmy took a wild guess that Cindy was on the fifth floor, which was the quietest floor. Everyone went there when they wanted complete and utter silence while they worked. No doubt, she'd be up there, probably still taking copious notes.

He made his way out of the elevators. The fifth floor was filled with desks and reference books. The giant, sloping windows peered out into the electric night.

Jimmy caught sight of Cindy, recognizing the pale green stripes of her boatneck sweater. She had fallen asleep on top of her notes. Her eyes fluttered the tiniest bit at the hint of motion. Jimmy couldn't help but gape at her, her breaths falling in short, syncopated rhythms, her beautiful blonde hair cascading to the small of her back in waves. She looked almost angelic.

He drew closer to her. He'd barely grazed her shoulder to wake her up when Cindy opened her eyes. They were wide with fear as she immediately stood up and kicked him in the shin on impulse.

Jimmy let out a cry of pain. "Arghh! Vortex, what the hell?"

Cindy blinked a few times, her grogginess finally fading. "Neutron, it's you?"

"Of course it's me, who else did you expect?" He nursed his leg, frowning.

"Well, I'm not apologizing. You deserved that." She huffed, clearly still upset.

"You're probably right." Before he could stop himself, the words had come tumbling out of his mouth.

Cindy let out a fake gasp of surprise. "The Great Neutron admitted that someone other than himself was right? This is a momentous occasion. Wish I could have recorded that on my phone." She said sarcastically.

"Please tell me you have your phone?" He gave her a pleading look.

"So eager to admit your mistake? I think T.S Eliot is starting to have some sort of hallucinatory effect on you." She smirked.

"Look around, Cindy, do you see anyone here?" He ignored her barb, fear growing in his voice.

Cindy's smirk dropped off her face. "What's your point?"

"We're locked in here."

"Big deal. Call campus security." She rolled her eyes. "Gee Neutron, thought you were a genius."

"I don't have my phone or my watch. My laptop is dead because the charger's in my room. And clearly you don't have your phone either." He motioned to her empty pockets. The note of panic in his voice steadily increased.

"Of course you wouldn't bring anything actually useful to this library session." She regarded him with anger. "The only thing you brought was your gigantic ego, and your big, annoying head."

"Only you would insult me while I'm trying to get us out of here."

"Well, I'd say you're doing a pretty terrible job."

"Maybe you can find your own way out then." He challenged.

"Maybe I will! Maybe I don't need your stupid help to get out of this." She stubbornly crossed her arms over her chest as he walked away. As he retreated, an eerie silence overtook the area and Cindy couldn't help but feel a little frightened by the sinister feeling of it all. The bookshelves cast long, crooked shadows against the mauve carpet, and the clock ticked ominously. Cindy got up from her seat, gathered her things into her backpack, slung it across one shoulder and ran after Jimmy, hoping he was still here.

When she finally caught up to him outside the elevators, she tapped his shoulder gently. He jumped, visibly afraid for a second.

"It's sort of...creepy up here." She said quietly. Her emerald eyes looked back at him with the slightest hint of remorse and a touch of fear.

He nodded, agreeing with her. "Let's go down to the fourth floor."

She wordlessly consented, and got in the elevator with him. She glanced nervously around as the elevator went down a floor.

"Are you...actually scared?" He asked in an overtly shocked tone.

She scowled. "Of course not."

But he saw her balled up fingers trembling in her fists.

In an unprecedented show of kindness, he reached for her hand, clasping it in his own. She didn't fight him, instead interlocking her fingers with his.

He looked at her reassuringly as they stepped out of the elevator. The two alighted onto a much more well lit floor and forayed through the carts towards a lounge like area with bean bags and mini tables. They sat next to each other, awkwardly letting their hands fall to their sides.

"So what do you propose we do?" She asked.

"I can't believe I'm saying this-but we can't do anything. I don't have anything I can use to get us out of here."

"Can't you just invent some door unlocking device using whatever's lying around?"

He shook his head no. "Those doors are locked from the outside. We can't even pick the lock, because the door is locked with a keypad."

"Maybe we can head down to the first floor and try to pry one of the old windows open."

"How would we reach them? They're way too high up."

"You could stand on my shoulders?" She offered.

He sighed. "Even if we could reach them, they're too rusted for us to get open without some sort of makeshift crowbar."

Cindy threw up her hands in exasperation. "You're telling me I'm stuck here until tomorrow morning with you? Unbelievable."

He raised an eyebrow. "I seem to recall you saying the same thing the first time around, and things went just fine."

"Did they really?" She challenged.

"What do you mean? We had a decent time." He stopped for a second to amend his statement. "Well, the best we could have had, given the man eating spiders and the extreme heat."

"Neutron, I'm not talking about the damn spiders!" She wondered how someone with such a high IQ could be so insufferably dumb.

"Care to enlighten me as to what you are talking about?"

"I'm talking about _us_, you dimwit!" She exclaimed.

Jimmy's cheeks reddened as he came to grips with this revelation. "Oh."

After a second, he finally faced her. "We've...improved."

"Have we? We've done nothing but argue and insult each other since we started this project. Although it is mostly _your_ fault, but still."

"My fault? You started the project without even waiting for me, and then you told me my literary skills are sub-par. Excuse me if I haven't been the picture of amicability."

"Doesn't feel good to have insults leveled at you, does it?" She shot him a sour look. "You tell me I'm sub par at _everything_ all the time."

He watched her carefully, a hint of guilt etched in the lines of his face.

"But it's okay, I've gotten used to it. Don't stop on my account."

"That's not fair and you know it. You act like you've never been hostile at all."

"There's a difference." She grumbled under her breath.

"What?" He wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly.

"There's a difference. I thought-thought you'd know by now." Her voice had turned soft and delicate in the snap of a moment.

"Know what?" He was confused.

"All my snipes about your inventions-" She began, before thinking better of what she was about to say. He gently brushed his fingers across her knee. Her eyes lit up in surprise and she blushed.

"I didn't mean it. Most of it anyways." She admitted, feeling the weight of years' worth of anger slip like feathers from her heart.

"Cindy-" A strange wave of sadness washed over him.

She held up a hand to stop him. "It's okay."

"I don't really think..." He swallowed the growing lump in his throat. "The liberal arts do require talent...I mean I spent hours reading over those poems and they gave me a hard time so...I mean.." He gave a humorless laugh. "You're talented." He offered awkwardly, giving up on words.

She shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Thanks."

"So, what should we do for the next few hours?" He asked. They glanced at the clock. It was only eleven.

"We could read." He suggested. "There's no lack of books here to keep us entertained."

"I don't want to read, Neutron." She motioned to the books in her bag. "We did plenty of reading."

"Have any other ideas then?" He reclined back in his chair, blue eyes trailing her movements discreetly. It had become somewhat of an unconscious habit, and he had worriedly begun to realize he rather...liked it.

She inched closer to him, sitting at the very edge of her chair. Their knees were touching lightly. He had a sudden desire to shift the wisp of hair suspended in front of her eyes to the side of her face. He moved forward, to tuck the strand behind her ear. His fingers accidentally brushed against the soft, cool skin on her neck, and he reached up to hold her cheek. He could hear her uneven, nervous breaths amidst the ghostly silence.

She shifted her weight entirely towards him, reaching to clutch his unoccupied hand in her own.

"You know," He started, "I didn't want to admit it to myself at first."

She nodded knowingly, a small smile growing across her lips.

"I didn't come here for another degree. I could get that anywhere. I have plenty under my belt."

"What you don't have under your belt is modesty, _Neutron_." She rolled her eyes.

He grinned. "Modesty is overrated." He closed the gap between the two and gently kissed her on the lips, pulling back after a few seconds to gauge her response. She could barely conceal the grin spreading across her mouth as she slipped off her chair and onto his lap. He pressed his lips to her neck as she ran her hands through his hair. She let out soft sounds of approval as he nipped at the space below her ear and made his way back to her lips.

Before he kissed her again, he stroked her jaw tenderly and his blue eyes met his green ones in a moment of extreme clarity.

"I came here for you." Her eyes widened considerably. There, he'd finally acknowledged it. _Could there even be another reason?_

"You're a pain, but I'm glad you did." She beamed.

He took her head in his hands fondly and pecked her forehead. She bent down and bit his lower lip enticingly. He ran his hands down her sides, resting them on her hips. She burrowed her head in his chest and closed her eyes, content to lie in his arms.

"If I had to work on this project with anyone, I'm glad it's you."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Me too."

Neither of them had to say a word to make light of the image arising in their minds of their eleven year old selves saying similar things so many years ago.

* * *

The following morning the librarian unlocked the library and made her way up to the fourth floor to start collecting empty carts. She was surprised to see two students asleep in each others' arms on a soft bean bag chair, their bags flat against the floor across from them. She was familiar with these two- always arguing in the student lounge, always engaged in shouting matches and tense debates. They must have been studying late (as usual) and lost track of the time. A smile crept onto her face as she turned and walked away, secretly overjoyed. Maybe now, they would spend less time yelling at each other and more time being sweet. It would make her life a whole lot easier...


	16. Heartbreak

**I'm stuck in the airport until tomorrow morning so I wrote this to kill time. It's probably not that great, but whatever.**

* * *

Cindy Vortex lay quietly on her bed, clutching a worn pillow to her chest. Looking out into the foggy night, she fixed her gaze on the distant glow of the age old street lamps lining the block. Tonight, it was easier to focus on anything, anything that took her mind away from the growing void in her heart. Fortunately for her, his house was barely visible through the fog, although eventually her eyes strayed there anyways. It had become a habit over the years, looking over at his place, to see what he was up to. But tonight was different. Tonight was the end of an era.

Retroville's prized boy genius had broken up with her after five turbulent years together. They'd always been on and off, but Cindy assumed they would make it through everything, and if it ever came down to it, she'd be the one ending things, not him. Alas, she was wrong. Jimmy Neutron had made it very clear that he wanted to make a clean break of it. She'd agreed, because her pride wouldn't allow her to protest the notion, and why should she? Why should she continue to fight for a boy who no longer cared for her?

Her throat clenched at that thought. That wasn't entirely fair. He had always cared for her. More so than her feuding parents ever had. He was the closest thing she had to Libby, and she had always secretly thought in some ways, he was better, because he was just so damn special. She'd given him everything she had, worked her hardest to make sure she was worthy enough of him, and had always cheered him on from her second place spot. She'd put up with her mother's incessant taunts about her mediocrity and her constant comparisons for him. She'd let down her walls, partially tamed her anger for him. She'd done so much for him, and he was willing to throw it all away in favor of ambition, in favor of his true love— science.

Ironically enough, his ambition was what drew her to him. They were among the few people in this dinky little town who had big dreams and the skills to accomplish them. But it had driven a wedge between them— the way his genius dictated his future, and the way her hard work got her far, but never far enough.

Even so, the agony killed her. Jimmy had been a constant in her life for as long as she could remember. She wasn't sure if she knew how to function in a world where he wasn't always around, a world where she couldn't hold him close to block out the misery of her pathetic home life.

It was so difficult for her to watch him slip away. Of course, when things had been bad for them, they'd been terrible. But the good memories- oh how sweet they were! If only she could relive them all again, go back to those golden days. She remembered the beautiful days on the island, and fingered the pearl on her neck that she'd worn on a silver chain ever since. She remembered the exact curve of his smile, the way his blue eyes lit up as he explained his latest invention. She remembered the space trips, the Candy Bar dates, the never ending arguments over abstractions and academia.

How could she let go of her first love? The most brilliant boy she was ever likely to meet? She gripped the fabric of her pillow tighter against her, wondering if she could close her eyes and pour all her sadness into the light cotton. She wanted him here so much, and she knew she couldn't ask that of him. She'd asked enough of him over the years, and it was time she returned the favor and let him be. If he thought it was better they were apart, she would respect that.

But she wasn't sure, at that moment, that she'd _ever_ truly get over it...it seemed so ludicrous to think there would come a day when her dreams might involve some other boy. Until that day came, _if_ ever, she was chained to the indefinite sting of massive heartbreak...


	17. Bright Eyes

**I've had this idea for a while and never quite got around to it, but I saw the draft sitting on my laptop and decided to finish it for the heck of it because I don't write enough happy stuff! **

**Thanks to everyone who's still reading and leaving reviews! I love these two so much...years later, and they're the only pair I still obsess over and write about extensively. **

* * *

There were many questions Cindy disliked. Some included, "What time is it?" (Easily answered looking at a phone or a computer), "Why are you still single?" (That was a can of worms she wasn't willing to open with her best friend, let alone concerned 'friends' of her snooping mother. As it were, she doubted Sasha Vortex had such a thing), and "Why do you work so hard?" (She'd always been the conscientious type— scared to death of underperforming, of that gleaming monstrosity…mediocrity.)

But the absolute worst questions, in her most honest opinion, were any sort of questions regarding…Neutron. And it wasn't as if she was exaggerating the amount of questions she got about him, because she'd been bombarded with questions about him ever since he'd made the cover of _Time Magazine_ and had been featured as a top spot in a New York Times article about twenty five amazing people under the age of twenty five, sandwiched between the guy who'd invented Facebook and a woman who had begun a wildly successful vegan restaurant chain. James Isaac Neutron, as various media sources were so graceful as to call him, was no more the short, oddly haired town menace of her youth, endangering everyone within a thirty kilometer radius with his combustion-prone inventions. It seemed as if that period in his life was glossed over in every publication she'd seen that spoke of his history. He was often lauded as a prodigiously talented child who'd put Retroville on the map, and unfortunately, she'd been stupid enough to let it slip to her colleagues that she hailed from there.

In fact, just the other day, a woman who ran a relatively well known tabloid had somehow found her and fielded her a host of questions regarding the boy wonder while she was on her lunch break (despite her incessant insistence that she had no desire whatsoever to spend her free time discussing Neutron)

"When was the exact moment you knew James was destined for fame?"

Cindy had almost spat out her diet coke in laughter. "I think it might be easier to list all the times I definitely thought he wasn't destined for anything."

The woman looked taken aback at her slight and flashed _Time_ at Cindy. "You are Cindy Vortex, the one he lists as his 'bright eyed rival'?"

"Bright eyed? What the heck—" Cindy snatched her copy and skimmed over the section in question. And there he was, face front and center, taking up a whole page.

"I believe he also mentions an instance wherein you tried to make a case against him participating in the local science fair." The woman chuckled and pointed to the next page.

"Of course I did, it was like the rest of us mere mortals were being pitted against Einstein year after year. Not to say that I didn't give Nerdtron a run for his money, I did almost win that time."

The woman scribbled that down. Cindy smirked.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back to my firm."

* * *

The office was teeming with energy, as Vortex-Polaris was on the verge of a big win. Cindy decided to take a short coffee break before heading back to her desk that evening, and when she came back, she found a copy of _Time_ on her desk enclosed in a yellow envelope from the postal service. There was a short note paper-clipped to the magazine.

_Hey Cin! We never get a chance to talk anymore, but make sure you take a look at this okay? Retroville's resident dork is on the cover of Time and he's pretty obvious in his mentions of your love hate thing ;) Call me soon!_

_-Love, Libby_

Cindy rolled her eyes. There was no love hate thing. There was no thing. Never had been, never would be.

Nevertheless, curiosity finally got the best of her, and she hid the magazine under her sweater and headed for the supply cabinet. There was no way in hell she was letting anyone see her reading about him.

Closing the door behind her, she flipped to page twenty for the cover story. Once again, she was met by his know it all smirk.

_"Understanding Dr. Neutron: It's Not Rocket Science!"_

_By Helena Hadley_

_James Isaac Neutron enters the room in a crisp, pressed Armani suit and flashes me a bright smile. One of the world's premier scientists, Dr. Neutron has been sending out portable housing units to be utilized in his interplanetary population distribution scheme. This is his current project, although it is only one in a long line of achievements…_

Cindy rolled her eyes and continued down the page.

_James, or Jimmy, as he prefers to be called by his friends and family, speaks of his childhood as being relatively normal. I'm perplexed as to how that's possible when you're a genius, but Jimmy assures me he did in fact spend his childhood doing more than just building rocket ships and taking trips to Mars. In fact, he recalls in vivid color the golden days of his younger years. "When I was in elementary school, I had this great group of friends who would come with me everywhere. We had a lot of adventures, yes, but we also had some standard amusements- we rode roller coasters and went out for ice cream at the local diner, the Candy Bar." He laughs at the memories, a twinkle in his eye as he goes on to mention his neighbor. "And actually...there was a girl who lived across the street from me, and we were always arguing about everything. She was sort of my bright-eyed rival at the time."_

_"Bright eyed?" I raise my eyebrows at him. _

_"Yeah, she was always up to something." He chuckled. "And she was pretty smart."_

Suddenly, Cindy's breath caught, and she felt herself reading the same words over and over before going on.

_"She's a successful lawyer, last I heard, head of this big firm- I think it's Vortex-Polaris or something...and it completely fits. When we were in the fifth grade, she staged a trial to get me banned from the school science fair on the grounds that my big head was an unfair advantage." He stops to smile. _

_I ask him if he would say it was, looking back. He fiddles with his watch for a moment. "My big head was definitely a liability at times." I offer him my own smile at this modest comment. "I mean, she made a good case, I guess it was someone else's turn to win. But honestly, I think if anyone had a shot of winning, it was her, so make of that what you will." _

Cindy felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her. What business was it of his bringing up all of this years later? And why did he feel like she deserved a special mention? She shoved the article back under her arm discreetly and exited the closet. An associate looked at her oddly as she emerged from the closet and she glared back. "Nothing to see here!" She barked. The associate rushed off, not wanting to provoke the wrath of a name partner.

* * *

Cindy was parked in the driveway of her home, still agonizing over the article, replaying his words in her head. She could even imagine his voice, and the exact sound of his laugh. How could he say all those things about her? How did he have the courage to say all those nice things in print when he'd never said them to her in person? For the first time in a while, she found her thoughts occupied by nothing but Neutron. The last time she'd allowed herself to think of him so single-mindedly was probably in high school. She groaned. It figured the nerd would find a way to squeeze himself into her life years after they'd lost contact.

Sure, they'd tried to keep contact in the beginning after ending their time at Retroville High as what some would call friends, but then, they'd drifted apart as college and work began to take their toll. Cindy remembered the beginning, back in their undergraduate years, when they'd email each other all the time, never missing an opportunity to one up each other. She still had all the emails archived somewhere on her old laptop. Then, slowly, the responses began to come in slower and slower, until they stopped coming entirely. Cindy cringed as she recalled a week of absolute misery wherein she'd been wallowing over not having talked to Neutron in a month or so. She snorted to herself.

The last time they'd spoken properly was during their college graduations, when Jimmy had sent flowers to her apartment with a short letter of congratulations and as usual a dig about how much more money she'd be making if she'd gone into research instead going to law school. She'd been ecstatic and had written him back excitedly, but she'd never heard back from him, and had learned to let it go as she soon realized law school drained all her time and energy. After that, he'd tried to get in contact very casually once every few months or so, and she'd ignored him out of a combination of sheer pride and the stunning revelation that she cared more about him than she should, a thought that scared even the usually impenetrable Cindy Vortex.

But she couldn't lie to herself anymore. She missed the bygone era of name calling and space travel. It was heartbreaking to her that she hadn't known the value of those precious times as she'd lived them, rather only realizing their value long after they were a thing of the past. It was ironic and bittersweet and very, very sad to her in some strange way.

And no matter how much she fled the truth, she couldn't outrun it. Cindy had always loved Jimmy Neutron. It was simply a fact of life the way Pi was 3.14, and the way the sky was blue. A year ago, Cindy had diverted a case against one of Neutron's sub-groups. She'd taken the case on a charitable basis- her firm hadn't received a penny for their services...well, her services. She doubted he even knew about that, given how busy the man must be, but she knew she'd done it because she wanted him to be happy, and she doubted getting slapped with an unfair lawsuit would make that wish come true. She'd justified it to herself and to everyone around her noting that it was 'pro bono work' that would give the firm good publicity.

Cindy had always known this, known that she cared deeply for him. Yet, something held her back. She always told herself if he'd felt the same way or at least given a damn about her, he would have at the very least stayed in touch with her.

But, maybe, just maybe, she thought, this was his way of extending an olive branch to her. She smiled at the thought as she got out of her car, unlocked the front door, and walked directly to her computer and opened up her email. For a moment, she wanted to write a (very) angry letter demanding why they hadn't talked in ages, but then she realized that wasn't the point. That was all in the past, and they had a chance to rewrite the future. So for once, Cindy swallowed her anger in favor of new beginnings. She was sure he had his reasons, just as she'd had hers all this time.

* * *

**To:** neutronjscience  
**From: **retrovortex

_So I saw your article, genius. Glad to hear you think I'm bright eyed. ;)  
And might I add, the recollections were particularly touching? _

* * *

A few minutes later, she received a reply.

**To:** retrovortex  
**From: **neutronjscience

_Touching enough to discuss them with me over coffee this weekend? _

* * *

**To:** neutronjscience  
**From: **retrovortex

_I'd like that. You know, decoding the great Neutron isn't as hard as I thought..guess it's not rocket science after all!_

* * *

**To:** retrovortex  
**From: **neutronjscience

_Like you'd know rocket science anyways, you crashed my Strato XL back in the fifth grade..._

* * *

**To:** neutronjscience  
**From: **retrovortex

_Are you seriously still bitter about that? Because I will bring up the time we switched bodies if you're going to be unpleasant..._

* * *

**To:** retrovortex  
**From: **neutronjscience

_Thought we agreed never to speak of that...scarring experience EVER again?_

* * *

**To:** neutronjscience  
**From: **retrovortex

_For once, you're right Nerdtron. It's okay though, I have plenty of other stuff to hold against you._

* * *

**To:** retrovortex  
**From: **neutronjscience

_Bring it on, Dorktex. I'll see you on Saturday. :)_

* * *

Cindy signed off with a chuckle. She was so ready.


End file.
